The whole industry is fascinated by the rise of AI, and lawyers are no different. A big hello then to the new recruit at Mills & Reeve.
His name is Darwin, and he has joined the firm initially as a trainee intellectual property assistant, helping process trademark applications. He has received tuition from his “creator”, Alasdair Poore, and, according to M&R, he is “keen to learn the ropes and, with his extensive learning capacity, is able to take on vast amounts of knowledge very quickly”.
So it can only be a matter of time before Darwin is poached by M&R’s real estate team – you can imagine him drafting leases and doing deals. It might just be because he reminds us of 1980s cinematic icon Johnny 5, but Diary is confident that Darwin will go far.
Keeping it casual
This year’s BCO conference in Berlin was all about embracing change. Not just in terms of new building technology – but across the board. Right down to the sartorial choices of the delegates. For the first time, a “no dress code” policy gave the 700 attendees free rein to wear whatever took their fancy.
And plenty didn’t stop at the ol’ white shirt and jeans combo – the classic “casual, but cool” property uniform. As temperatures in the city hit 26 degrees, out came the sundresses, T-shirts and – in the case of Sentinel’s James Pack (pictured) – shorts and flip-flops.
“I took the dress code, or lack of one, very seriously as you can see,” he said, before conceding he would need to reverse the age-old tradition of dressing down for the flight home following an international conference. “I am going to have to do a quick change before I head to the airport, and actually put some trousers on,” he laughed..
TOG: The Movie
Forget Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Ant-Man and the Wasp and (yet) another Mission Impossible, this summer’s real blockbuster might have just been released. Featuring an intense rivalry at its heart, some cool and quirky direction, and a pair of charismatic leads, it’s produced by one of the industry’s A-list – and it’s streaming now.
Yes, with the firepower of Blackstone behind it, The Office Group is flexing its muscles on screen as it takes on its challenger, WeWork. Founders Charlie Green and Olly Olsen are the stars of an impressive – and nicely spiky – film, available on the company’s website. It begins with Green and Olsen wandering TOG facilities to a tasteful classical score.
They gently mock themselves, each other and then, slightly less gently, an unnamed rival (we can surely guess who). TOG is there for businesses that are “different”, they stress: “We’ve always understood this. That’s why today we offer a real choice of places. That’s why each one of our buildings always has been and always will be different. And that’s why we reject the idea that one size and one style fits all.”
Got the message? In case not, they explain that their approach to design is “more considered, more sophisticated and more understated”, adding: “It’s why we think bespoke while our competitors think boilerplate.” Now there’s a put-down worthy of any action hero.
Is that a tree trunk spider?
Here at EG, we monitor local authorities for planning applications from across the property spectrum, analysing all the latest regeneration plans and new builds in the UK. Often, our attention is caught by immaculately rendered site plans.
This week, though, what caught the eye was… a little different. It’s an application from a disgruntled resident in an unnamed part of the country, concerned at the risks posed by an overhanging branch from a neighbour’s tree.
The issue is encapsulated in a single, striking image – but it has left Diary wondering whether the real danger is not from deciduous debris, but arachnid attack. We can only hope that the council in question sends a tree surgeon – or perhaps pest control – straight away.
It’s good to gawk
The BT Tower generously played host to two days of judging for this year’s EG Awards (the shortlist will be announced next week, nail-biters.)
It’s a fabulous venue and it’s a joy to watch judges emerging from the lift and going straight to gazing at the peerless view, 30-something floors above the West End. One member of the great and good was even persuaded to come over just for a photoshoot.
It surprised EG’s photographer. “Well, I’ve never been up here before,” he reasoned. “I don’t know if I’ll get another chance.”
To send feedback, e-mail jess.harrold@egi.co.uk or tweet @jessharrold or @estatesgazette
